 WWFHA Assists
2015 - 2016 SEASON IN REVIEW
Washington Wild Member Update - April 22, 2016
What an exciting, busy, productive season -- the WWFHA family celebrated so many great accomplishments! Thank you to all the players, families and volunteers for your time and talent; everything you did made the season special. See below for a season recap and, at the very bottom, some highlights for next season.
2015 Tryouts -- the Largest Turn-out in Association History!
The season started off with a bang with the most players at tryouts than ever before and record breaking membership numbers! The Wild Family expanded with the addition of two new regular teams – the 14U Rep (PCAHA) and 12U Travel teams. We also instituted 8U and 10U tournament teams and a beginner program. The above photo depicts our 5 regular teams and 2 tournament teams; however, many players are missing, including the 44 beginners! Click to see some photos.
Olympian Lyndsey Fry Joins Honorary Board
WWFHA announced our newest Honorary Board member, Lyndsey Fry, Olympic Silver Medalist and Harvard alumna! In 2014, Lyndsey was selected to play on the 2014 Olympic Ice Hockey Team where she won silver in Sochi, Russia. After the Olympics, Lyndsey returned to Harvard for her senior year where her team won the Ivy Title, the ECAC Championship and finished as the runner up at the national championship. Click to read more.
Kitay Joins the WWFHA Honorary Board
WWFHA welcomed Jason Kitay, a sales executive for AEG covering the LA Kings and LA Galaxy. Jason played for the University of Washington Huskies and as part of AEG he was a member of the Stanley Cup Champion LA Kings in 2012 and 2014, as well as the MLS Cup Champion LA Galaxy in 2014. Jason brings marketing and online expertise to the association. Click to read more.
Student Coaches Certified
Sixteen Wild players earned qualified student coach status for WWFHA. These talented role models served on the ice all season working at Try Hockey for Free events, younger team practices, and Beginner sessions. We love seeing the smiles shared between the younger girls and their big WWFHA sisters! Click to learn more.
Successful Season Kickoff
At WWFHA’s September Season Kickoff event, many players won prizes ranging from stick handling balls to a Surface Pro 3. Olympian Kelly Stephens Tysland presented restoration, nutrition, dynamic warm ups and recovery, and handed out Washington Wild Shoot and Score Club awards. Afterwards, Chris Colgan captured an amazing, all-association photograph on the ice, team photos and individual images of each player at Highland Ice Arena. Click here to read more.
Highland Ice Arena Changes
The Washington Wild teams finally have their very own, locked locker-rooms sporting freshly painted Wild colors!
New ‘Home of Washington Wild’ banners fly in the big rink and the seven Championship banners that have been in storage for years!
The new scoreboard displays the WWFHA and Highland Ice Arena logos and ‘Home of Washington Wild’.
IIHF World Girls’ Hockey Weekend with Olympian Lyndsey Fry
Washington Wild teams joined Olympian Lindsay Fry on the ice on an early October weekend for clinics centered on the International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) Girls’ World Hockey Weekend. 64 female players ages 4-18 participated in four age specific clinics. Lindsay shared her story, signed autographs, taught skills effectively, and won the respect and admiration of all who met her. Click here to read more.
WWFHA, in conjunction with USA Hockey, and over 30 countries around the world on every continent except Antarctica, presented hockey events to thousands of girls; Click here to read more.
Wild 14U Rep Players Win 4 out of the 5 Skills Competition Titles in Burnaby Tourney
14U Rep players represent their team and the association well at the Burnaby Tournament. Aurora won the hardest shot (54 mph) competition. Abby demonstrated best accuracy competition, Halle won the breakaway competition and Olivia owned the goalie competition with the only shut-out. Click here to read more.
Wild 19U Rep Rock the Fire on Ice Tournament
The Wild 19U Rep team went 2-2-1 in Rochester, NY at one of the best college scouted events of the year! The Wild barely lost in the semi-finals to an Ontario team from an all-girl association which boasts over 20 Rep teams and 800 players. Click to read more.
WWFHA Partners with NWHL's NY Riveters
The Washington Wild made history as the first-ever ‘Little Sister’ team partnered with a ‘Big Sister’ team in the NWHL. The NY Riveters and Washington Wild partnership grew from WWFHA’s desire to connect their female student athletes on the Washington Wild teams with role models from the women’s professional hockey league. Because the Riveters boast five west coast players—four from California and one from Montana--they are an ideal sister-team for the Washington Wild. In addition, the Wild teams include several players of Japanese descent, and the NY Riveters drafted goaltender Nana Fujimoto from Sapporo, Japan. Click to read more.
The Stanley Cup Visits the NW
The Stanley Cup traveled to Seattle to celebrate 100 years of hockey in Seattle in December 5, at Seattle Metropolitans Night at ShoWare Center. A number of Wild players lined up to get their picture taken with the Stanley Cup.
19u Rep Winter Performance Camp
This year, the 19U Rep team opted to skate in their own, local three-day Winter Performance Camp instead of traveling to a tournament over the winter holidays. Coach Miller’s idea allowed players to remain home with their families over the holidays and recharge during the busy holiday season. The intense, three-day camp prepared the players for the second half of the season, and their approach to Nationals. The camp included on-ice sessions, guest coaches, off-ice conditioning and yoga classes.
2015 Giving Campaign Re-Cap
An enormous thank you to all who contributed to (and players that participated in) WWFHA’s 2015 Giving Campaign -- we raised an incredible net $20,398.20! Your donations make a huge difference for our student athletes in giving them the gift of a positive girls’ hockey experience. 100% of all donations go directly to help girls play hockey in our all-volunteer association.
Inaugural Alumnae Game
The Washington Wild hosted the Wild Alumnae inaugural game over Winter Break. Look for the 2nd Annual game next year!
10U Exhibition Games vs. Burnaby
The 10U Washington Wild hosted the Burnaby Wild Cats 10U team as the Burnaby team made their first-ever road trip to play. The teams celebrated together after a tightly matched game with a pizza party, and the Wild Cats presented each Washington Wild player with a box of holiday chocolates. After Sunday morning’s game, which ended in the Wild Cats’ favor, the teams planned to meet again in Burnaby. Click here for more photos.
14U Exhibition Games vs. Idaho
For the second season in a row, Idaho came to Western Washington for friendly, all-female matches against the 14U Wild. Fun was had by all!
19u Rep Champions of the San Jose MLK Tournament
The 19U Rep Tier 2/AA team earned the Championship Title at the 13th Annual San Jose Jr. Sharks Girls’ and Women’s Ice Hockey MLK Tournament in San Jose, California. Click to read more.
At the tournament, both 19U Rep and 14 Rep teams, once again, supported their sisters at the event showing the pride in the WWFHA Family.
Beginners Kick-Off With a Bang
WWFHA hosted the first ever all-girl ice hockey class in Washington state on Sunday January 24th at Highland Ice Arena. 30 girls participated from towns spanning from Auburn to Arlington, and Shoreline to Redmond.
- Click to see more photos of the first session or
- Click here to read more.
Goaltender Clinics with Ian Gordon
Ian Gordon, WWFHA pro-staffer and professional goaltender coach held monthly goaltending clinics for the Washington Wild goaltenders at the ShoWare Center in Kent. Coach Gordon’s 18 years of professional goaltending experience in both North America and Europe, makes him a valuable asset to the Wild goalies as he works with them regularly to improve their game. Click here to learn more information on Coach Gordon.
WWFHA's Girls' Try Hockey for Free Event
Over 30 girls attended WWFHA's Girls' Try Hockey for Free event on February 20th at Highland Ice Arena! Click here to learn more and see photos.
WWFHA Partners with Engineered Sports
WWFHA joined forces with Engineered Sports of Everett to offer Washington Wild players world-class off-ice sports performance conditioning and other hockey-specific athlete training services to help them reach their potential. Click here to read more.
Wild 14U Rep Wins PCAHA League Title
The WA Wild 14U Rep team won the Canadian PCAHA Bantam Regular Season Championship title in the red division! The team had a 15-4-1 record with 71 goals for and 31 goals against! Click here to read more.
Whatcom Host WA Wild 8U Exhibition
On Feb 28 the Whatcom Warriors hosted the first ever 8U scrimmage between our two associations - another sign of girls hockey growth in WA state! The game was a blast, and the pizza afterwards was yummy! Click here to view photos.
14U Rep Wins Surrey SuperHeart Tourney Championship Title
The 14u Rep Tier 2 Washington Wild team brought home the gold medal in the championship title game in the Surrey SuperHearts Tournament. The Wild earned a 3-1 record in round-robin play of the tournament, losing to Surrey 2-1 in the first game, and then defeating Kelowna 4-2, North Shore 12-1, and Alaska 4-3.
19U Rep Takes 2nd at Pacific Districts
The Washington Wild 19u Rep team earned second place at the 2016 USA Hockey Pacific District Championship tournament in Anchorage, AK. Click here to read more.
Wild Alumna Duguay Named to SCFHL Allstar Team
Former Washington Wild player Adriene Duguay, who currently plays forward with the TWU Titans, was named for the 2016 year’s South Conference Female Amateur Hockey League All-Star game.
Anderson Commits to Salve Regina
Congratulations to Washington Wild 19U Rep team’s senior captain, Mikayla Anderson! Salve Regina University in Rhode Island accepted her, and she will pursue a nursing degree there and play hockey for their women’s NCAA DIII Seahawks starting in fall of 2016. Click to read more here.
White Selects SUNY Oswego
Congratulations to Washington Wild 19U Rep team’s senior assistant captain, Lauren White! She has selected State University of New York (SUNY) Oswego where she will pursue a communications degree and playing college hockey for the NCAA DIII Lakers starting in fall of 2016.
First Ever Association Dinner
During the 2015 Richmond Classic, 185 members from five Wild teams convened for the first ever association-wide dinner. The Vancouver Airport Marriott featured a pasta bar for players ages 5 to 19. What a great illustration of the growth of girls’ hockey in the WA state and within WWFHA.
8U Tournament Team Undefeated at Richmond
Our youngest team stormed their division and went undefeated at the Richmond Ice Classic!
USA Hockey Women’s National Hockey Team Visit
The Wild participated in a special skate and autograph session with the national team in Everett in March. The US National team took time out to practice with the all-girls association.
Players worked in groups on various skills with the National players, including a game of tag with Kendall Coyne.
The older group excitedly participated in small scrimmage sessions with some of their favorite stars! Click here to read more and see additional photos.
Wild on KING 5 Evening Magazine
Washington Wild beginner twins were featured with the US Women's National team's twins on KING 5’s Evening Magazine! KING 5 Evening Magazine covered the Washington Wild’s twin 4 year old sisters in the WWFHA beginner program as they met and skated with the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team twins, Monique Lamoureux and Jocelyne Lamoureux-Davidson. Click here to read more.
WA Wild Players Selected for National Team event
Wild players represented WWFHA at the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team's scrimmage at Xfinity Arena in March. Abby O’Neill of the 14U Rep team stood on the bench for pre-game warmups, Bonnie Paulson of the 19U Travel team was on the bench during first period, and Lauren White of the 19U Rep team during third period (as depicted in the above picture with the National team's assistant coach).
Washington Wild Players Selected for USA Hockey Pacific District Select Camp
Eight Washington Wild players were selected from the PNAHA Washington State Female Development Camp for the 2016 USA Hockey Pacific District Girls’ Select Tryout. Dylan Hammond, Halley Hansen, Leah Johnson, Ryanne Mix, Allison Reeb, Aurora Spencer, Anna Stensland and Laura Stump. The 2016 Pacific District Select Camp occurs June 11-16, 2016 at Colorado College, Colorado Springs, as part of the Multi-District Development and Evaluation Camp. Click here to read more.
Thanks to the WWFHA Pro-Staff
 Thank you to Dr. Cherie Johnson, physician and foot and ankle surgeon; Ian Gordon, goal tending coach; Lisa Martin, pro skating coach; Kiersten Murphy, college admissions consultant; Rene Czerwinski, well body counselor; and Zoe Harris, college hockey expert for your time spent with our players this season! Click here to read more about the Pro-Staff.
First Appearance of the Wild Women
Wearing WWFHA Wild jerseys, the Wild Women team’s players and coaching staff consisted entirely of WWFHA coaches, volunteers, alumnae, and parents. Despite not playing together previously, the Wild Women competed strongly in the Advanced division of the Everett Women’s Fools on Ice tournament April, 2016 at Olympicview arena in Mountlake Terrace and improved with every game.
April 10th Girls' Try Hockey for Free
18 new hockey players took the ice on April 10th for WWFHA's Girls' Try Hockey for Free event at Highland. Many of them already excitedly signed up for the May 1 session of beginner hockey class.
Shoot and Score Club Winners
Washington Wild players participated in the Shoot and Score club during the season, several earning awards multiple times, including Abby O'Neill (4 months), Fiona Boskovic (2 months), and Halley Hansen (1 month) of the 14U Rep team, Melissa DeVita (1 month) of the 12U Travel team, and Annie Johnson (1 month) of the 10U tournament team. Join the summer four month challenge starting in May!
Mikayla Anderson Wild Leadership Award
WWFHA proudly established the Wild Leadership award in the name of graduating senior and 19U Rep team captain. The Mikayla Anderson Wild Leadership award will be given annually to the Washington Wild player who exemplifies Mikayla’s character and leadership on the ice, in the classroom, and in the community. Click here to read more.
Host Family and Billeting Players
Thank you to this year's host family and billeting players for such a great year! We are so glad that you developed a special family within the WWFHA Family!
If you are intersted in hosting a player next year, please email info@wwfha.com for more information.
Spring and Summer Programs
 Olympian Lyndsey Fry Camp in April/May – http://www.wwfha.com/lyndsey-fry-camp
Elite Performance Training with Shaun Miller - http://www.wwfha.com/elite-camp
Wild Sunday 3v3 Hockey – http://www.wwfha.com/3v3
Washington Wild Camps: May and June -
 Seattle Wild Teams
- 19U and 15U Beantown teams
- 12U Training and Tournament team
Private training - http://www.wwfha.com/private-training
Thank You to All the Volunteers!
We can’t thank our volunteers enough – the coaches, team staff (managers, team treasurers, photographers, writers, travel coordinators, jersey managers, and the list goes on!), special projects people, fundraisers, rink improvement committee, and more.
Without you, we wouldn’t be the family that we are today!
And there is more to come! Check out some of the 2016 – 2017 season highlights:
- More elite level coaches joining the WWFHA Family
- Working with Engineered Sports for enhanced off-ice performance conditioning
- The addition of more pro-staff for well-rounded training of mind and body
- The potential entrance of 12U Rep Tier 2 / AA team into PCAHA
- The addition of 10U and 8U full-time teams to the WWFHA Family
- Continuing beginners' Hockey 1 and Hockey 2 classes and hockey gear rental opportunities
- New scouted tournament opportunities for 19U Rep
- And we have more in store for another exciting season!
- See you soon, stay tuned and GO WILD!
THANKS TO OUR SPONSORS
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